All Disclaimers & Yadda Yadda Yadda: See Chapter One
This chapter written by: MissKitieFantastico & thanks to Kathryn for telling me to add the last part =)
Title: An Irish Lullaby
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, we hope to get more. It inspires us to write, and write with passion.
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Chapter Three
Begin At The Beginning (The Epiphany)
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As I'm walking away from Angel, I try my hardest not to stumble in the darkness.
I'm biting my lip so hard I think I draw blood, but I can't feel anything. I'm completely numb. I can just barely taste it though, that metallic bitter and sweet taste that is totally one of a kind. Somehow I find my way to the door through the tears I'm trying desperately to keep from him, and I put my hand on the doorknob.
I know I have to say it.
Because I know if I lose him before I get the chance to say it, I'll die inside.
Well, if I ever lost him period I'd die inside, but I'd never forgive myself if I didn't just say it.
Do it Cordy! He deserves to know how you feel, now more than ever.
"I love you, Angel."
My words come out thick with emotion I've yet to show, and it's barely a whisper. I know he heard me. Don't ask me how I know, but I do.
I turn back to the door and open it without making any noise and slip out into the hall. The latch clicks faintly when it closes and even that tiny noise seems to echo down the deserted hallway.
My feet seem to be moving okay as I head back for the lobby, but all of a sudden I can't hold my own weight. My legs turn to strawberry Jell-O and I reach for the wall to keep from falling. I sag against the dirty faded wallpaper and I can't help it. I can't keep it in anymore. Against my will a loud sob escapes my throat and my tears finally flood down my cheeks. It took everything I had in me to stay calm for Angel, to comfort him and now I have nothing left. So I cry, sinking to the floor I wrap my arms around my knees and rest my head, hoping my legs will muffle the wails that manage to escape my throat.
God it hurts so bad.
Everywhere. Everything. Everyone.
And I can't make it stop.
I know I shouldn't be crying, and I know I have to be strong. But I can't help but think, and when I think I think of him.
My baby.
I know he's not mine, but he is.
He can't be gone, it's just not fair! He was--don't say was! We'll get him back! I know we will. We have to. He's my life-- he's Angel's life. Connor's just one more thing that ties Angel and me together, and I can't lose that.
He's all I have in this world. Besides Angel… he's all I have. He's the only thing I have to show for my life. Acting career be damned, I had a baby to show for myself. A living, breathing, human baby boy. A baby boy that I loved more than I ever thought I could love anything, including myself. I was supposed to help raise him, watch him grow up and become a man, but now that's been ripped from me. Just taken away from me like everything else. Now all I have left is lying in my room completely broken because his baby is gone.
And I don't know how to make it better.
It can never be better.
We have to find him.
He has to come home to us.
We'll die without him.
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My knees are a little shaky and cramped from being on the floor so long. Don't know how long, but long enough to make my entire body ache. My stomach is in knots and my throat burns like lava, and my eyes… oh god, they hurt so bad I can't even see straight. I probably look like a drowned cat that got run over--twice-- but I don't care. I'm so far beyond caring about anything except the two men that mean the world to me.
I've come to have a great epiphany of my own.
I'm getting Connor back.
I will torture and/or kill anyone who gets in my way. Starting with Justine, Lilah and maybe even Wesley.
Nothing is going to get in my way.
Hell hath no rage like a woman on a mission. Okay, I know that's not right, but it works.
I try my best to wipe the runny mascara from my face, but I know it's in vain. I look like crap anyway, might as well keep the ensemble complete.
I never knew walking could be so hard, but with wobbly legs I make my way to the stairs. Oh boy, that's a lot of stairs. Somehow I manage to get myself down to the lobby without taking a swan dive off the marble staircase, and find Lorne talking on the phone.
He hangs up when he sees me and rushes me like a linebacker. I welcome the hug and squeeze him for all he's worth, then he pulls back, still holding onto my shoulders.
"How ya doin' cutie." His voice is somber, which is weird for Lorne, and I notice the huge gash on his head.
"I'm doing… horrible." I say with a sigh. There's no use lying to him. I could say I'm peachy keen, but my current state of physical being clearly indicates I'm not. "What happened to you?" I reach my hand up to gingerly feel the healing wound.
He winces, stepping back, and his eyes go dark for a split second before he speaks. "Wesley happened. He was trying to take Connor, but he made the mistake of humming a few bars around me and I got a whiff of something not so pleasant in his aura. Tried to split but he caught me and-- wham-o! Now I know how you felt after one of your killer visions. No pun intended."
I bring my fingers to my temple and massage slowly. I can't even put my head around everything that's obviously happened since I left. That's it, I'm never leaving again. Ever. Nothing but badness comes from my departure.
"I can't believe Wesley. He seemed fine when I left. A little down in the dumps over Fred, but he wasn't all psycho or anything. How could he do this?" I sit down on the round sofa and Lorne joins me. Thankfully he actually seems to want to fill me in on what I missed.
"It's the prophecy. I've had some time to go through his notes, and good lordy Boy George. He was clocking some serious hours with that damn thing. I don't think we can really blame him though. From what I got from his notes, and there were plenty to go through let me tell you, everything pointed to Connor being the catalyst for some sort of apocalypse. Angel was supposed to kill him to fulfill the prophecy--"
"What?!" I jerk my hands away from my head and look him dead in the eye. "There's no way--- Angel would NEVER hurt Connor!"
"You know that, I know that. But there's a bit more to it than that, crumbcake."
He pauses, for some sort of dramatic effect or whatever. Which is only serving to piss me off royal. Angel would never lay a finger on Connor. It's just insane. This whole place went mad the moment I left.
"In order to make sure the prophecy came to term, our dear friends at Wolfram & Hart decided to spike Angel's blood. With Connor's. Remind me to send them a gift basket. Or not. Maybe a severed head would be more appropriate."
"They fed him Connor's blood? But why…" I'm shaking my head in utter confusion. The only thing I can think is-- eww. I know it's childish, but there's just so many ways that that's wrong on SO many different levels. Oh, yeah. I'm really going to enjoy hurting Lilah.
"To reawaken his blood lust. So he'd kill his own child."
"Ok, let me get this all straight. Evil lawyer chick spikes Angel's blood, Wes finds out about the prophecy and skedaddles with Connor. But how did Holtz get a hold of him and how did Wes end up with a hole in his throat?" Questions needing answering and I hope to God he does.
"Well, apparently Justine caught up with him and took Connor."
"Oh, Justine must be the chick that's working for Holtz, right?"
He nods in the affirmative, so I continue. "Does anyone know what happened with Angel? He was… he wasn't in any shape to give me the play by play, and I need to know what happened so we can find Connor."
"I know sweetie. I know what you're feeling inside. You're kinda jumbled up, but you're pretty resolute in how you're going to handle this. Someone needs to be."
"So you don't know what happened with him?"
"All I know is there was a big showdown between him, Holtz, Lilah and Sahjhan. Sahjhan created a rip in dimensions and Holtz made a getaway with Connor into it. Gunn and Fred found him a little before sunrise. Don't ask me how, but they did."
Up until now I was pretty stone faced about the whole thing, but now I'm imagining what it could've been like for Angel, and I feel my tears start to build again.
This is almost too surreal.
Like a dream.
No, I'll amend that-- it's like a nightmare.
And I want to wake up now.
I close my eyes hoping it's nothing but a bad dream, but when I open them I'm still with Lorne, there's still blood on the wall and there's still a hole in my soul. And I still want to die because Connor's gone, and now I know there's nothing I can do about it. I feel Lorne's hand on my shoulder, trying to be soothing, but I won't be comforted until I have my little boy back where he belongs… With me and Angel.
I can't help it as another tear slides down my cheek when I think about him. After everything I've just been told and everything I've seen, I know we have to get Connor back.
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The smell makes my stomach churn. The moment I walk through the doors it hits me, washes over me. I'll be stinking like this for hours.
I hate it. I don't want to be here, but I know I have to talk to him. Or at least see him. I have to know.
I have to know why he did it. He's never betrayed us before, and I don't understand it now. He was supposed to be the smart one-- Mr. I-Have- Everything-Under-Control.
I can't think that he did this on purpose. It's just not in him to be so… shortsighted and irresponsible.
I left Gunn and Groo in the waiting room--hoping beyond hope that they won't kill each other-- as I walk down the deserted corridor to the nurses' station. Did I mention I hate hospitals?
The nurse at the desk doesn't even acknowledge me as I lean against the countertop. She's totally engrossed in some cheesy romance novel with some barbarian looking half-naked dude holding a big sword. So, I make my presence known the only way I know how.
"Um, *excuse* me… I'm looking for a friend." When she doesn't respond, I reach across the counter and flick the cover of her book to get her attention. Did I mention I'm in a really bad mood today? Don't have time for pleasantries--not that I ever have time for pleasantries anyways… it's just not in my genes.
She looks up at me from the book, a very vicious scowl plainly etched in her face, bright green eyes flashing with anger. I read her nametag, M I S S Y. What the hell kind of name is *Missy* anyway? Well, certainly not a name for a nurse I can tell you that. A lap dancer, maybe…
"Should I reiterate it for you, *Missy*? I'm looking for a friend. Can you help me or not?" I shoot her what some would call my infamous glare, and I see her back down slightly. Damn, I've still got the touch. Missy doesn't know who she's messing with. Queen C, that's who. The bitchiest bitch in Sunnyhell, and damn not proud of it. But, she doesn't need to know that.
"What's his or her name?" She seems to have given up the staring contest and puts the book down, brushing a lock of red hair behind her heavily pierced ear.
"Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. He came in last night."
She turns to look through a chart, and turns back to me. Something on the chart makes her face lighten immediately as she looks up at me. "I remember him now. Real shame what happened… he's quite the gentleman."
"That's our Wesley! Is it alright if I see him?" She must have the hots for him. I don't like her, but I'll have to remember to get her number for him.
"He might not be conscious, and he can't speak very well. But I suppose that'd be alright. He's in room 426. Down the hall on the left." She points to my right, and I follow her hand in the direction she's pointing for a second before looking back at her.
"Thanks."
But she's already totally absorbed back into her fantasyland with Conan the Barbarian in a loin cloth.
I make my way down the hallway. Everything's pretty quiet except for the constant beeping and whirring of machines in the hospital rooms. I find room 426, but the door is closed. I almost barge right in, but decide to knock first instead. Right, Cordy. She said he could barely talk, let alone shout out for me to come in. I roll my eyes at myself and open the door.
He's lying in the bed on his back. I imagined worse. Thank god it's not worse. No breathing machines, which means nothing vital was severed and he seems to be awake.
"Hey." Is all I can manage. My throat is so tight, and I feel like I need to cry again. He looks so lonely in that bed. His hair is a disaster and he hasn't shaved in what looks like days, maybe more. His face is pale and expressionless as his eyes fixate on me.
"Cor- de- lia." He's struggling with the word, and he winces with the effort. His neck is wrapped with heavy white gauze and tape, and he reaches up to it, to rub at it gingerly.
I can't help my tears once again. I'm supposed to be the strong one, but he looks so little. He looks-- destroyed… Emotionally and physically.
"Oh, Wes…" I finally give up trying to be the Stoic Avenger Girl On A Mission, and decide what he needs now is Cordy. He needs a friend, 'cause I'm feeling like he isn't going to get much of that from the rest of the group.
I let a tear fall as I walk to his bed and sit down on the edge, facing him. My motherly instincts go into overdrive as I take his hand in mine. He's so cold. He's shivering.
"I'm sorry… I tried… to do what was right…" He has to whisper to be able to speak and he closes his eyes, maybe out of exhaustion, maybe out of frustration. Probably a little of both.
"It's not your fault… Well, it is, but you were only doing what you thought was right I'm sure."
He looks at me with the famous Wesley glare I've come to ignore on a more than daily basis. The one that simply states that I'm stating the obvious.
I sigh dramatically, trying to gather my thoughts. He doesn't need someone else telling him how badly he screwed up. That's Gunn's job. Which now that I think about it, I'm getting the feeling him and Wes have already exchanged words. Hence the evil glare he gave me in the hotel. Makes sense, Gunn never was one to hold back on his feelings, even if said guy he's yelling at is bleeding to death. It's just not his style.
"I'm not here to bust your chops, Wes. Well, I was… But I have a feeling you've already gotten it from everyone else. I may not understand what you did, or why you did it. But one thing that I *know* I know about you, is that you did it because you thought you were doing the right thing."
Poor sappy Wesley, his eyes are brimming with tears now as he looks at me and a half hearted smile is playing on his lips. I just had to get all mushy didn't I?
"You know I love you, Wes. We're going to make this better. I promise you we'll make this better."
"Just… get him… back." He squeezes my hand tightly, and his tears finally slide down his face.
I can't help but start with my own tears as he says that, so I bring his hand up to my cheek and hold it there.
"I will, Wes. Nothing's going to stop me. We'll have our family back, even if I have to die trying."
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Coming Soon: Chapter 4!
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Hey all,
Please take the time to review. Me and Tigerwolf are feedback junkies, so take a minute and tell us what you think! Oh, you should also check out her other works, 'cause they're great. Want poetry? Or Fluff? Or angst? She's your girl!
-MissKitieFantastico
A/N: For anyone who noticed, I did get the name of the nurse from a character that Eliza played in a movie. I just had to throw in that little homage to my favorite Slayer with an attitude. (I miss Eliza…) You never know, maybe 'Missy' will make a return to play "nurse" to our favorite Ex- Watcher. Wes just *has* to get some nookie from someone ;-)
Last Note: Special thanks to Diane Weiss for such a great review! I always get a kick out of reading yours, it's nice to know that there are people who take the time to give such great feedback =)
This chapter written by: MissKitieFantastico & thanks to Kathryn for telling me to add the last part =)
Title: An Irish Lullaby
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, we hope to get more. It inspires us to write, and write with passion.
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Chapter Three
Begin At The Beginning (The Epiphany)
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As I'm walking away from Angel, I try my hardest not to stumble in the darkness.
I'm biting my lip so hard I think I draw blood, but I can't feel anything. I'm completely numb. I can just barely taste it though, that metallic bitter and sweet taste that is totally one of a kind. Somehow I find my way to the door through the tears I'm trying desperately to keep from him, and I put my hand on the doorknob.
I know I have to say it.
Because I know if I lose him before I get the chance to say it, I'll die inside.
Well, if I ever lost him period I'd die inside, but I'd never forgive myself if I didn't just say it.
Do it Cordy! He deserves to know how you feel, now more than ever.
"I love you, Angel."
My words come out thick with emotion I've yet to show, and it's barely a whisper. I know he heard me. Don't ask me how I know, but I do.
I turn back to the door and open it without making any noise and slip out into the hall. The latch clicks faintly when it closes and even that tiny noise seems to echo down the deserted hallway.
My feet seem to be moving okay as I head back for the lobby, but all of a sudden I can't hold my own weight. My legs turn to strawberry Jell-O and I reach for the wall to keep from falling. I sag against the dirty faded wallpaper and I can't help it. I can't keep it in anymore. Against my will a loud sob escapes my throat and my tears finally flood down my cheeks. It took everything I had in me to stay calm for Angel, to comfort him and now I have nothing left. So I cry, sinking to the floor I wrap my arms around my knees and rest my head, hoping my legs will muffle the wails that manage to escape my throat.
God it hurts so bad.
Everywhere. Everything. Everyone.
And I can't make it stop.
I know I shouldn't be crying, and I know I have to be strong. But I can't help but think, and when I think I think of him.
My baby.
I know he's not mine, but he is.
He can't be gone, it's just not fair! He was--don't say was! We'll get him back! I know we will. We have to. He's my life-- he's Angel's life. Connor's just one more thing that ties Angel and me together, and I can't lose that.
He's all I have in this world. Besides Angel… he's all I have. He's the only thing I have to show for my life. Acting career be damned, I had a baby to show for myself. A living, breathing, human baby boy. A baby boy that I loved more than I ever thought I could love anything, including myself. I was supposed to help raise him, watch him grow up and become a man, but now that's been ripped from me. Just taken away from me like everything else. Now all I have left is lying in my room completely broken because his baby is gone.
And I don't know how to make it better.
It can never be better.
We have to find him.
He has to come home to us.
We'll die without him.
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My knees are a little shaky and cramped from being on the floor so long. Don't know how long, but long enough to make my entire body ache. My stomach is in knots and my throat burns like lava, and my eyes… oh god, they hurt so bad I can't even see straight. I probably look like a drowned cat that got run over--twice-- but I don't care. I'm so far beyond caring about anything except the two men that mean the world to me.
I've come to have a great epiphany of my own.
I'm getting Connor back.
I will torture and/or kill anyone who gets in my way. Starting with Justine, Lilah and maybe even Wesley.
Nothing is going to get in my way.
Hell hath no rage like a woman on a mission. Okay, I know that's not right, but it works.
I try my best to wipe the runny mascara from my face, but I know it's in vain. I look like crap anyway, might as well keep the ensemble complete.
I never knew walking could be so hard, but with wobbly legs I make my way to the stairs. Oh boy, that's a lot of stairs. Somehow I manage to get myself down to the lobby without taking a swan dive off the marble staircase, and find Lorne talking on the phone.
He hangs up when he sees me and rushes me like a linebacker. I welcome the hug and squeeze him for all he's worth, then he pulls back, still holding onto my shoulders.
"How ya doin' cutie." His voice is somber, which is weird for Lorne, and I notice the huge gash on his head.
"I'm doing… horrible." I say with a sigh. There's no use lying to him. I could say I'm peachy keen, but my current state of physical being clearly indicates I'm not. "What happened to you?" I reach my hand up to gingerly feel the healing wound.
He winces, stepping back, and his eyes go dark for a split second before he speaks. "Wesley happened. He was trying to take Connor, but he made the mistake of humming a few bars around me and I got a whiff of something not so pleasant in his aura. Tried to split but he caught me and-- wham-o! Now I know how you felt after one of your killer visions. No pun intended."
I bring my fingers to my temple and massage slowly. I can't even put my head around everything that's obviously happened since I left. That's it, I'm never leaving again. Ever. Nothing but badness comes from my departure.
"I can't believe Wesley. He seemed fine when I left. A little down in the dumps over Fred, but he wasn't all psycho or anything. How could he do this?" I sit down on the round sofa and Lorne joins me. Thankfully he actually seems to want to fill me in on what I missed.
"It's the prophecy. I've had some time to go through his notes, and good lordy Boy George. He was clocking some serious hours with that damn thing. I don't think we can really blame him though. From what I got from his notes, and there were plenty to go through let me tell you, everything pointed to Connor being the catalyst for some sort of apocalypse. Angel was supposed to kill him to fulfill the prophecy--"
"What?!" I jerk my hands away from my head and look him dead in the eye. "There's no way--- Angel would NEVER hurt Connor!"
"You know that, I know that. But there's a bit more to it than that, crumbcake."
He pauses, for some sort of dramatic effect or whatever. Which is only serving to piss me off royal. Angel would never lay a finger on Connor. It's just insane. This whole place went mad the moment I left.
"In order to make sure the prophecy came to term, our dear friends at Wolfram & Hart decided to spike Angel's blood. With Connor's. Remind me to send them a gift basket. Or not. Maybe a severed head would be more appropriate."
"They fed him Connor's blood? But why…" I'm shaking my head in utter confusion. The only thing I can think is-- eww. I know it's childish, but there's just so many ways that that's wrong on SO many different levels. Oh, yeah. I'm really going to enjoy hurting Lilah.
"To reawaken his blood lust. So he'd kill his own child."
"Ok, let me get this all straight. Evil lawyer chick spikes Angel's blood, Wes finds out about the prophecy and skedaddles with Connor. But how did Holtz get a hold of him and how did Wes end up with a hole in his throat?" Questions needing answering and I hope to God he does.
"Well, apparently Justine caught up with him and took Connor."
"Oh, Justine must be the chick that's working for Holtz, right?"
He nods in the affirmative, so I continue. "Does anyone know what happened with Angel? He was… he wasn't in any shape to give me the play by play, and I need to know what happened so we can find Connor."
"I know sweetie. I know what you're feeling inside. You're kinda jumbled up, but you're pretty resolute in how you're going to handle this. Someone needs to be."
"So you don't know what happened with him?"
"All I know is there was a big showdown between him, Holtz, Lilah and Sahjhan. Sahjhan created a rip in dimensions and Holtz made a getaway with Connor into it. Gunn and Fred found him a little before sunrise. Don't ask me how, but they did."
Up until now I was pretty stone faced about the whole thing, but now I'm imagining what it could've been like for Angel, and I feel my tears start to build again.
This is almost too surreal.
Like a dream.
No, I'll amend that-- it's like a nightmare.
And I want to wake up now.
I close my eyes hoping it's nothing but a bad dream, but when I open them I'm still with Lorne, there's still blood on the wall and there's still a hole in my soul. And I still want to die because Connor's gone, and now I know there's nothing I can do about it. I feel Lorne's hand on my shoulder, trying to be soothing, but I won't be comforted until I have my little boy back where he belongs… With me and Angel.
I can't help it as another tear slides down my cheek when I think about him. After everything I've just been told and everything I've seen, I know we have to get Connor back.
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The smell makes my stomach churn. The moment I walk through the doors it hits me, washes over me. I'll be stinking like this for hours.
I hate it. I don't want to be here, but I know I have to talk to him. Or at least see him. I have to know.
I have to know why he did it. He's never betrayed us before, and I don't understand it now. He was supposed to be the smart one-- Mr. I-Have- Everything-Under-Control.
I can't think that he did this on purpose. It's just not in him to be so… shortsighted and irresponsible.
I left Gunn and Groo in the waiting room--hoping beyond hope that they won't kill each other-- as I walk down the deserted corridor to the nurses' station. Did I mention I hate hospitals?
The nurse at the desk doesn't even acknowledge me as I lean against the countertop. She's totally engrossed in some cheesy romance novel with some barbarian looking half-naked dude holding a big sword. So, I make my presence known the only way I know how.
"Um, *excuse* me… I'm looking for a friend." When she doesn't respond, I reach across the counter and flick the cover of her book to get her attention. Did I mention I'm in a really bad mood today? Don't have time for pleasantries--not that I ever have time for pleasantries anyways… it's just not in my genes.
She looks up at me from the book, a very vicious scowl plainly etched in her face, bright green eyes flashing with anger. I read her nametag, M I S S Y. What the hell kind of name is *Missy* anyway? Well, certainly not a name for a nurse I can tell you that. A lap dancer, maybe…
"Should I reiterate it for you, *Missy*? I'm looking for a friend. Can you help me or not?" I shoot her what some would call my infamous glare, and I see her back down slightly. Damn, I've still got the touch. Missy doesn't know who she's messing with. Queen C, that's who. The bitchiest bitch in Sunnyhell, and damn not proud of it. But, she doesn't need to know that.
"What's his or her name?" She seems to have given up the staring contest and puts the book down, brushing a lock of red hair behind her heavily pierced ear.
"Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. He came in last night."
She turns to look through a chart, and turns back to me. Something on the chart makes her face lighten immediately as she looks up at me. "I remember him now. Real shame what happened… he's quite the gentleman."
"That's our Wesley! Is it alright if I see him?" She must have the hots for him. I don't like her, but I'll have to remember to get her number for him.
"He might not be conscious, and he can't speak very well. But I suppose that'd be alright. He's in room 426. Down the hall on the left." She points to my right, and I follow her hand in the direction she's pointing for a second before looking back at her.
"Thanks."
But she's already totally absorbed back into her fantasyland with Conan the Barbarian in a loin cloth.
I make my way down the hallway. Everything's pretty quiet except for the constant beeping and whirring of machines in the hospital rooms. I find room 426, but the door is closed. I almost barge right in, but decide to knock first instead. Right, Cordy. She said he could barely talk, let alone shout out for me to come in. I roll my eyes at myself and open the door.
He's lying in the bed on his back. I imagined worse. Thank god it's not worse. No breathing machines, which means nothing vital was severed and he seems to be awake.
"Hey." Is all I can manage. My throat is so tight, and I feel like I need to cry again. He looks so lonely in that bed. His hair is a disaster and he hasn't shaved in what looks like days, maybe more. His face is pale and expressionless as his eyes fixate on me.
"Cor- de- lia." He's struggling with the word, and he winces with the effort. His neck is wrapped with heavy white gauze and tape, and he reaches up to it, to rub at it gingerly.
I can't help my tears once again. I'm supposed to be the strong one, but he looks so little. He looks-- destroyed… Emotionally and physically.
"Oh, Wes…" I finally give up trying to be the Stoic Avenger Girl On A Mission, and decide what he needs now is Cordy. He needs a friend, 'cause I'm feeling like he isn't going to get much of that from the rest of the group.
I let a tear fall as I walk to his bed and sit down on the edge, facing him. My motherly instincts go into overdrive as I take his hand in mine. He's so cold. He's shivering.
"I'm sorry… I tried… to do what was right…" He has to whisper to be able to speak and he closes his eyes, maybe out of exhaustion, maybe out of frustration. Probably a little of both.
"It's not your fault… Well, it is, but you were only doing what you thought was right I'm sure."
He looks at me with the famous Wesley glare I've come to ignore on a more than daily basis. The one that simply states that I'm stating the obvious.
I sigh dramatically, trying to gather my thoughts. He doesn't need someone else telling him how badly he screwed up. That's Gunn's job. Which now that I think about it, I'm getting the feeling him and Wes have already exchanged words. Hence the evil glare he gave me in the hotel. Makes sense, Gunn never was one to hold back on his feelings, even if said guy he's yelling at is bleeding to death. It's just not his style.
"I'm not here to bust your chops, Wes. Well, I was… But I have a feeling you've already gotten it from everyone else. I may not understand what you did, or why you did it. But one thing that I *know* I know about you, is that you did it because you thought you were doing the right thing."
Poor sappy Wesley, his eyes are brimming with tears now as he looks at me and a half hearted smile is playing on his lips. I just had to get all mushy didn't I?
"You know I love you, Wes. We're going to make this better. I promise you we'll make this better."
"Just… get him… back." He squeezes my hand tightly, and his tears finally slide down his face.
I can't help but start with my own tears as he says that, so I bring his hand up to my cheek and hold it there.
"I will, Wes. Nothing's going to stop me. We'll have our family back, even if I have to die trying."
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Coming Soon: Chapter 4!
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Hey all,
Please take the time to review. Me and Tigerwolf are feedback junkies, so take a minute and tell us what you think! Oh, you should also check out her other works, 'cause they're great. Want poetry? Or Fluff? Or angst? She's your girl!
-MissKitieFantastico
A/N: For anyone who noticed, I did get the name of the nurse from a character that Eliza played in a movie. I just had to throw in that little homage to my favorite Slayer with an attitude. (I miss Eliza…) You never know, maybe 'Missy' will make a return to play "nurse" to our favorite Ex- Watcher. Wes just *has* to get some nookie from someone ;-)
Last Note: Special thanks to Diane Weiss for such a great review! I always get a kick out of reading yours, it's nice to know that there are people who take the time to give such great feedback =)